The native of St. Louis, Missouri, batted left-handed and threw right-handed and was listed as 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and 190 pounds (86 kg).

His 11-season pro career began in 1950, when he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent.

[2] He played in the Dodgers' farm system through 1955, and eventually was acquired by Cubs the following year after he bounced around two other MLB organizations.

Gabler was a power hitter in the minor leagues, posting double-digit home run totals in all 11 seasons in which he played.

During Gabler's only MLB trial, in September 1958,[2] he fanned against the Philadelphia Phillies' Don Erickson (on the 16th), then against Los Angeles Dodgers' Ralph Mauriello (on the 19th) and Johnny Klippstein (on the 21st).